How to Teach Problem Solving to Autistic Children

Autism strikes one in every 500 children and is five times more common in boys than girls. It is a brain development condition that affects the ability to communicate, socialize with others and interact with surroundings. Helping the autistic child learn to problem solve and socialize is no easy task and will at times require the assistance of professionals.

Instructions

• 1

  First off, treatment is highly individualized. No single treatment will work in all cases. Usually a combination of treatments is needed. The earlier treatment and structure begins, the better the results will be for the child.

• 2

  Choose a therapy. Treatments include educational therapy, motor skills development, speech therapy and peer play and socialization. A common form of therapy used for problem solving and self help is called applied behavioral analysis. The next three steps illustrate how it works.

• 3

  A clear instruction is given to the child, perhaps followed by demonstration or guiding the child’s response.

• 4

  Reinforce with positive reaction. When the child responds, a positive reinforcement or consequence is given immediately.

• 5

  Repeat and learn. The child is able to relate the positive reinforcement to the response he made and is excited to repeat the behavior.

• 6

  Explore alternative treatments. “Floor time” is another popular choice when working with autistic children. It involves a therapist or parent to engage in playtime with toys and action figures. The child sets and acts out a scene while the therapist guides him toward challenges the characters might encounter. The child learns to problem solve by working through the challenges of his pretend players, and later, applying it to real life.

• 7

  Understand autism. Why the prevalence of autism is increasing is not known. What is known is that raising and educating an autistic child can be extremely difficult and challenging and that it is best for everyone involved to seek medical support as well as personal support to maintain health and happiness for the entire family.